Patrick Short Story

Patrick’s childhood had no significant moments to be remembered, except for his participation in various science contests and drawing hundreds of different creatures that did not resemble any of the existing animals known to people. His parents noticed he was not like the rest of the children, but as he did not like socializing too much and preferred solitude instead. He was never silent, but he was rapidly talking to himself or to someone in his imagination, as it appeared from the side. The school psychiatrist said it was normal for children to have imaginary friends, and eventually, as Patrick would grow up, they would be replaced with real-life friends. However, this never happened, and by the age of fifteen the doctors diagnosed him with schizophrenia.

Patrick’s life did not change a lot after the diagnosis was confirmed. All the doctors his parents took him to were sayings contemporary medicine could treat literally anything, and Patrick’s schizophrenia was not an exception. However, all the pills he was taking had rather sedative effect, making communication with him even more complicated. His mother was really upset, as she was literally losing her son, who remained close to her physically, but his mind belonged to the other world. Besides, intense course of therapies made Patrick so unwilling to talk to someone, even his mother, she counseled with her husband and they decided to rely on the destiny that was prepared for their son and ceased his therapy. Patrick still had to visit his doctor every week, but his mother believed medications would only make things worse, so was not taking anything but for the vitamins.

Another year passed, and Patrick changed a lot. His condition was getting worse, on one hand, as he was spending more and more time inside his own world. People could think he was staring at the wall, whispering some spells, but he was fully aware he was communicating with the invisible people he could only see. Nobody was really sure if he could see only one or a few different realities, but sometimes he was scaring even his patient mother, who was ready to accept anything as long as her son would keep communicating with her. This was the other side of the coin, as despite the worsening condition, he was getting the most attention from his parents possible, and he paid them back in return with communication. Patrick lived in his own world or world, but he returned back to reality every day, for at least two or three times, being able to normally conceive the information and reply. His mother could not dream of anything else, as she felt this allowed him to remain a part of the family, and a tiny particle of the society. Doctors warned them this effect might not last forever, and their predictions were justified. In another two years Patrick became totally grasped by the illness, and his isolation became very hurtful to this parents.

The worst thing about this was that now it was too late to commence treatment afresh. Patrick’s disease evolved too much, and he was now facing the friendly worlds of his own and had to struggle a lot to survive in the reality that he left behind. Nobody knows what was he seeing, but the surrounding people saw a person, wandering around in chaos, moving in no particular direction unless guided by one of his parents. He could see something in the air or even a real object, but misinterpret it, get close to it and start discussing something with it as if it was an alive person. Patrick’s dreams became his reality, and the real life was left behind, along with his family. Nobody knew if he remembered his parents yet, but time to time he would still smile when he saw them.